Durham on top

Modern technology used alongside traditional policing methods has helped Durham Constabulary achieve the best detection rates in the country, says the force's chief constable.

In an independent analysis carried out for a national newspaper, Durham was rated the best performing force in England and Wales when it came to solving crime.

The study for the Sunday Times newspaper ranked detection rates in every local authority area and found both County Durham and Darlington to be among the five council areas in the country with the highest proportion of crimes solved.

In Darlington, 18.55 per cent of all crimes were solved during 2017, while in County Durham the figure was 18.38 per cent - each of them more than double the national average.

Chief constable Mike Barton said 21st Century technology married to traditional policing methods made the difference.

Mr Barton said: "We have had the same cuts as everybody else, but we didn't cut our police community support officers.

"We recognise the importance of boots on the ground in Durham and officers who actually know their neighbourhoods inside out.

"They know their patch. They have close links with the community and the closer those links are the more chance there is of getting somebody to tell you who committed those crimes, of getting witness statements and sealing convictions".

He added: "We trawled our local universities for talented young software designers and brought them into the organisation to work with our officers.

"As soon as someone is suspected of a crime, we can post their details and a photo to anybody we need to in the force."

Chief superintendent Adrian Green, head of neighbourhood policing for Durham Constabulary, said: "The importance of good community neighbourhood policing is the backbone of policing and always has played a fundamental role in keeping people safe, reducing anti-social behaviour, gathering intelligence, preventing and detecting crime and preventing terrorism.

"Given Durham Constabulary's commitment to this style of policing whilst embracing innovative techniques, it is perhaps not surprising that it contributes to our communities being ranked fourth and fifth in the Sunday Times analysis of detected crime.

"Financial pressures remain a concern but we continue to deliver a quality service, supporting victims and preventing and detecting crime."